Planet Thrive was created by Julie Genser–photographer, writer and certified holistic health counselor–whose life was derailed by extensive food and chemical sensitivities brought on by multiple exposures to environmental toxins. Aside from the typical assaults we all experience in a lifetime, she was exposed to a broken mercury thermometer in her late 20s, toxic fumes in a garbage dump fire during a photography workshop in her early 30s, the harmful fumes (and emotional trauma) from the World Trade Center fires of 9/11, mold resulting from a flood in her apartment in 2003, and she recently tested positive for Lyme bacteria, which she believes is a 35+ year infection underlying all of her other health challenges.
Through the typical path of the heavy metal poisoned and chemically injured, it took years of being misdiagnosed, mismedicated, and dismissed by doctors for her to recognize her set of symptoms as part of a much larger problem. She attended The Institute of Integrative Nutrition in 2001-2002, which started her on her healing path. The growth of the Internet around this time eventually allowed her to connect with others on a similar journey to share personal experience and hard-earned knowledge. Little by little, she learned.
This website emerged out of an undying hope to use her years of research and personal experiments with diet, supplements, chelation and other alternative practices to help others in their search for health. This website is meant to fill in the gaps that she found during her online research, and to complement existing sources of information and support.
A few important things Julie has learned above everything else:
- One must always remain at the helm of their own personal care
- There is no magic bullet–never put blind faith into one doctor or treatment
- What works for one does not always work for another–due to variability of individual biochemistry, and many other factors
- What works for one may change over time–re-evaluate your treatment plan every now and again
- Never give up hope
Julie recently left the East Coast to explore chemical free living in Arizona. She finds great joy in tribal bellydance and arabic hand-drumming, and in discovering new paths to wellness.
- Related Professional Training
- graduate of the Professional Training Program at the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, NYC 2002
- certified as a Holistic Health Counselor by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners (AADP) 2002
NUTRITION
- WRITING
- worked as a copywriter for Aveda, a beauty and lifestyle company with a sustainability mission, as well as other private clients with a holistic focus 2001-2004
- INTERIOR DESIGN | SPACE PLANNING
- completed the Ecovillage and Permaculture Design Certificate Program at Lost Valley Educational Center, Dexter, Oregon 2004
- accepted into the Intensive Semester in Sustainable Architecture at ECOSA Institute in Prescott, Arizona 2004 (Due to the emergence of severe Chemical Sensitivities from local conditions, Julie unfortunately had to leave this program after the first month.)
- Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Design and Analysis / Interior Design from Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 1988
posted by earthwalker on June 22, 2009 | 712 views | tags: Julie Genser
Hellis Hill
November 23, 2009 at 12:47 pm
It’s wonderful to find such a resource on the internet for those who are struggling to find answers to their health problems and can feel so isolated and overlooked by mainstream society.
We are the ‘yellow canaries’ who are feeling the first effects the overwhelming toxicity in our environment. Let’s hope that society wakes up to how we are polluting our planet, food supply etc. before everyone becomes ill.